As Featured in the Northern Nevada Business Weekly: Dr. Lancaster

Nevada ENT and Hearing Associates announces Eileen Lancaster has joined its team of practitioners as an audiologist.

Lancaster started her medical schooling at the University of Kansas, where she completed her undergraduate studies and earned her Bachelor of Arts in speech, language, and hearing sciences, along with a minor in dance.

She followed her undergraduate education with the University of Iowa, where she earned her Doctorate of Clinical Audiology.

Lancaster completed her clinical externship at the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Ariz., from 2019 to 2020. In her new role at Nevada ENT and Hearing Associates, she will diagnose, manage, and treat hearing, balance, or ear problems.

You can check out the full article here.

 

Nevada ENT and Hearing Associates is pleased to welcome Dr. Samara to our team of specialists. With over 26 years of experience in Otolaryngology, as well as head and neck surgery, Dr Samara is well versed in everything ENT. His background includes the use of robotics, salivary gland endoscopy, minimally invasive surgical techniques, the use of lasers, and skull base surgery. 

 

Dr. Samara began his medical journey at the University of Miami in Miami, Florida. His hard work at the University of Miami paid off with his following residencies at Columbia University in New York City as well as UCLA in Los Angeles.

 

After his schooling, Dr. Samara completed a 26-year tenure at SUNY Stony Brook. There, his practice encompassed a broad range of ENT, with special emphasis placed on nasal and sinus surgery, head and neck tumors, and salivary gland disease. After experiencing almost all four corners of the United States, Dr. Samara is now bringing his expertise to the biggest little city.

 

Over the course of his career, he has received many honors and awards including induction into the American College of Surgeons and even the Triological society; the most prestigious society in Otolaryngology. Nearly three decades of experience and hard work have made Dr. Samara a leading voice in the world of ENT. His research has been funded by the National Institutes of Health and he has authored over 30 peer-reviewed journal articles.

 

Nevada ENT and Hearing Associates is so excited to welcome Dr. Samara. As he brings his wealth of knowledge to our practice and our patients, we look forward to our future working together. We encourage interested patients, new and old, to make an appointment to see Dr. Samara soon.

 

We are thrilled to announce the newest member of our team, Dr. Eileen Lancaster! Originally hailing from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Dr. Lancaster is taking the Reno/Tahoe area by storm. She brings with her a wealth of experience and expertise, and we couldn’t be more excited to have her on board.

 

Dr. Lancaster started her medical schooling at the University of Kansas, where she completed her undergraduate studies and earned her Bachelor of Arts in speech, language, and hearing sciences, along with a minor in Dance. In fact, her passion for music is what helped inspire her path in audiology.

 

She followed her undergraduate education with the University of Iowa where she earned her Doctorate of Clinical Audiology. Most notably, Dr. Lancaster completed her clinical externship at the renowned Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Arizona, from 2019 to 2020. This externship fuels her dedication to staying up to date on the most current audiological findings.

 

After her externship, Dr. Lancaster joined the team at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary in Boston, MA, where she worked for two years. It was there that she continued to refine her skills in hearing evaluations, hearing aids, vestibular assessment, and cochlear implants. Her care for her patients and her passion for audiology shine through her work.

 

In October 2022, Dr. Lancaster made her way to Reno. We are delighted to have her join Nevada ENT and Hearing Associates. Her qualifications include holding a Certificate of Clinical Competence in Audiology from the American Speech-Language and Hearing Association – an association of which she is also a proud member.

 

 Dr. Lancaster is ready and eager to contribute to the excellent care we provide. Please join us in welcoming her to our practice!

 

Our practice is honored to have been named as a winner in the Hearing Aid Center category at the Best of Reno 2022 awards.

The award ceremony took place on Tuesday, May 10, at the Reno-Sparks Convention Center.

More than 200,000 votes were cast from members of the northern Nevada community to celebrate and recognize the best the community has to offer.

We are happy to serve each and every one of our patients!

Our practice is honored to have been accredited by the Intersocietal Accreditation Commisson (IAC) for Maxillofaicial CT scans.

This accreditation means that our facility has gone undergone a thorough review by a panel of CT imaging experts on our processes, standards, and operational and technical components.

We are proud to uphold our dedication to providing quality testing for the diagnosis of a variety of disorders and diseases.

As a patient, you can have confidence that our practice will continue to demonstrate a commitment to quality patient care in the field of computed tomography (CT).

 

Dr. Meier Featured on KTVN’s “Ask the Doctor”

Dr. Josh Meier was recently featured on KTVN’s Ask the Doctor Segment on spring allergies. He discussed allergy symptoms as well as treatments such as over-the-counter medicines.

 

Ask The Doctor: Combatting Spring Allergies | Ask The Doc | 2news.com

Important Announcement

Dr. Thomas Killeen will be retiring from Nevada ENT and Hearing Associates, effective June 30, 2022. Join us in thanking Dr. Killeen for his years of care to our community and wish him a happy retirement.

If you are a patient of Dr. Killeen’s, our talented team of physicians are looking forward to seeing you.  Please do not hesitate to contact our office should you have any questions, as we want to make this adjustment as smooth as possible.  We appreciate your business over the years and look forward to assisting you.

Dr. Meier discusses the loss of taste and smell after COVID with KOLO Terri Russell. Take a look!

https://www.kolotv.com/2021/08/27/long-lasting-loss-smell/

Check out Dr. Rich Panelli and his family featured in this month’s The Good Life magazine!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When Dr. Rich Panelli talks about his childhood and family, his face lights up. He shared, “My dad, Rick, passed away in 2018 after battling cancer for 20 years. He was a huge influence in my life. He was stationed in South Korea in the Air Force and when he returned to Reno,

he opened an Italian restaurant, Spaughi’s, with my mom.”

Spaughi’s, a play on Rick’s childhood nickname, “Spaghetti Boy” also served as Panelli’s part-time, childhood home. “We lived at the restaurant, and after it would close, they had Late Night Jazz. So, people from Harrah’s who had just performed that night would come over. I was eight years old, watching people like Sammy Davis, Jr. playing with Diana Ross in this tiny room,” he said.

Panelli’s mother Mary, a former archaeologist, led the Donner Party excavation team; and spent time as an instructor at the University of Nevada, Reno. She later volunteered with the Red Cross in Lake Charles, LA, following Hurricane Katrina.

“My childhood was interesting and exciting,” Panelli said. “My parents have always been a major part of my life; my dad until his passing, and my mom and stepdad (Tom), still.”

Panelli is a third-generation Reno native. He graduated from Utah State University in 1999 with a Bachelor of Science degree in communicative disorders. While attending school at Utah State, Panelli participated in track as a Division I athlete, from 1996 to 1999. In 2002, he graduated from the University of Utah with a Master of Science in audiology. He completed an internship at the Veteran’s Administration Medical Center in Salt Lake City, Utah in 2002.

Panelli returned to Reno after college, and shortly after joined LIGA International: The Flying Doctors of Mercy. He volunteered in six clinics for hearing impaired children in Sinaloa, Mexico, between November 2004 and June 2006. The following year, Governor Jim Gibbons appointed Panelli to serve on the Nevada State Hearing Aid Specialists Licensing Board. In March 2009, Panelli graduated from A. T. Stills University, Arizona: School of Health Sciences, earning a Doctorate degree in audiology.

Panelli continues his volunteer work in Reno. He has been a guest lecturer at UNR’s School of Medicine, and he supports many charitable organizations, including Rain Shadow Charter School, The Holland Project, The Evelyn

Mount Foundation, C.A.R.E. Chest of Northern Nevada, and Koinonia Foster Homes.

Panelli holds a Certificate of Clinical Competence in Audiology from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, and is a member of that organization. He also is a Fellow of the American Academy of Audiology.

“I enjoy the ENT aspect of my job because you get to see

so many different things. There’s anything from vertigo and ringing in the ears, to hearing tests on kids, assessing sudden hearing loss, and brainstem testing,” said Panelli, who works at Nevada ENT and Hearing Associates. “In a sense, it’s like an emergency room for audiology because you never know exactly who is going to walk in the door.

Panelli’s dedication to his profession is evident, but it is family that inspires him, most.

“I was born on my dad’s birthday and he was born on his dad’s birthday. My dad always used to tell this story about my grandmother who came into the family restaurant over a year before I was born to share some exciting news,” Panelli remembered. “It was a super busy night, but she dragged my dad into the back room to tell him that he was going to have a son.” She told Panelli’s father that the child would be born on his birthday. “He asked how she knew

and she only said, ‘I had visitors.’ Three days later she suddenly died.”

Panelli is married to Jill, a former journalist and dance teacher. They met when they were kids, through Panelli’s cousin, Maria, who was Jill’s childhood best friend. Panelli was at the University of Utah when his cousin stopped for the night, on her way to grad

school. Jill was traveling with her, and that’s when they became reacquainted. “We’ve basically never looked back,” said Panelli. Jill is a sixth-grade teacher at Billinghurst Middle School. The couple has two sons, Nico, 12, and Rocco, 9. Nico is a multi-sport athlete, just like his dad. “Rocco is the more artistic, imaginative type of kid,” said Panelli. “He writes movie scripts and then acts them out.”

The Panellis enjoy going to movies, working out, and spending time at the family cabin at Lake Tahoe. Panelli said he and Jill best love watching their boys’ sporting and acting events. “Growing up, my dad never missed any of our games or practices, even in hard times. He never missed anything. Jill’s parents were the same way. We are all very family-centered. Faith is also important to us. Really, it’s just about being there for our family and giving our

kids everything we can,” said Panelli, his face lighting up, again. “Our boys are the best.”